--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think that if you shake the tree, you…" description: "\"I think that if you shake the tree, you ought to be around when the fruit falls to pick it up.\" — Mary Cassatt" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/842/mary-cassatt-30569_fall_i-think-that-if-you-shake-the-tree-you-o_1090184.png" --- # I think that if you shake the tree, you ought to be around… ![“I think that if you shake the tree, you ought to be around when the fruit falls to pick it up.” quote by Mary Cassatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/842/mary-cassatt-30569_fall_i-think-that-if-you-shake-the-tree-you-o_1090184.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/842/mary-cassatt-30569_fall_i-think-that-if-you-shake-the-tree-you-o_1090184.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/842/mary-cassatt-30569_fall_i-think-that-if-you-shake-the-tree-you-o_1090184.png) > “I think that if you shake the tree, you ought to be around when the fruit falls to pick it up.” [Mary Cassatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-cassatt/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Shaking a tree symbolizes taking action that creates consequences you must be prepared to handle. **In simple terms:** Act and accept the results of your actions. Key Takeaway Be ready for outcomes you cause. Themes responsibility consequences action preparedness Mood thoughtful serious Type advice reflective When to use this quote - business decisions - personal relationships - political moves - environmental activism Key Concepts cause and effect accountability Questions to Reflect On - What outcomes are you prepared for after taking bold steps? - How do you ensure you can handle the results of your actions? A Different Perspective If you act without foresight, you may be overwhelmed by unintended fallout. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Fall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fall/) [Flower](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/flower/) [Fruit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fruit/) [Ought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ought/) [Ought Fruit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ought-fruit-2814127/) [Peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peace/) [Positive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/positive/) [Shake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shake/) [Shake Tree](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shake-tree-1316209/) [Shakes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shakes/) [Think Shake](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-shake-633385/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Tree](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tree/) [Tree Ought](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tree-ought-2624344/) [Trees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trees/) ## Related quotes > [Here on the East Coast, I think Shake Shack is awesome.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julian-edelman/here-on-the-east-coast-i-think-shake-shack-is-awesome/) [Julian Edelman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julian-edelman/) > [“Shake the tree. See what falls down.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sa-larsson/shake-the-tree-see-what-falls-down/) [Åsa Larsson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sa-larsson/) > [“Ya gotta shake the tree to get the peach.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luke-streich/ya-gotta-shake-the-tree-to-get-the-peach/) [Luke Streich](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luke-streich/) > [A man as he ought to be: that sounds to us as insipid as "a tree as it ought to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/a-man-as-he-ought-to-be-that-sounds-to-us-as-insipid-as-a-tree-as-it/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [Here is a hero who did nothing but shake the tree as soon as the fruit was ripe. Does this seem to be too…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/here-is-a-hero-who-did-nothing-but-shake-the-tree-as-soon-as-the/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [You're the cutest thing that I ever did see I really love your peaches, wanna shake your tree](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steve-miller/you-re-the-cutest-thing-that-i-ever-did-see-i-really-love-your/) [Steve Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steve-miller/) > [ I think \[“Shake It Off”\] is awesome! It sticks in your head. I heard it one time and I was, like, singing it all… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miranda-lambert/i-think-shake-it-off-is-awesome-it-sticks-in-your-head-i-heard-it-one/) [Miranda Lambert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miranda-lambert/) > [Sometimes you have to shake the tree in order to make things happen. And if that has a political cost, I will take it,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/carmen-yulin-cruz/sometimes-you-have-to-shake-the-tree-in-order-to-make-things-happen/) [Carmen Yulin Cruz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/carmen-yulin-cruz/) > [“We'll shake, we'll shake the tree of dreams, That solitary tree of dreams In the centre of the verdant field.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shusaku-endo/we-ll-shake-we-ll-shake-the-tree-of-dreams-that-solitary-tree-of/) [Shusaku Endo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shusaku-endo/) > [“Turbulence does not shake a tree with strong roots.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/matshona-dhliwayo/turbulence-does-not-shake-a-tree-with-strong-roots/) [Matshona Dhliwayo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/matshona-dhliwayo/) > [Shake the tree of life itself and bring down fruits unheard of.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edwin-arlington-robinson/shake-the-tree-of-life-itself-and-bring-down-fruits-unheard-of/) [Edwin Arlington Robinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edwin-arlington-robinson/) > [“Fruit falls when you shake the tree. You have to keep making things happen.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandi-l-bates/fruit-falls-when-you-shake-the-tree-you-have-to-keep-making-things/) [Brandi L. Bates](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandi-l-bates/) > [“If I wished to shake this tree with my hands, I should not be able to do so. But the wind, which we do…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/if-i-wished-to-shake-this-tree-with-my-hands-i-should-not-be-able-to/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [“Some people expect things to fall into their lap. Oh, they might work a bit for it. I'll just shake this tree, and if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nora-roberts/some-people-expect-things-to-fall-into-their-lap-oh-they-might-work-a/) [Nora Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nora-roberts/) > [When you go to a club it's not about being black or white or heavy or thick. I'm shaking my ass because I want…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/miley-cyrus/when-you-go-to-a-club-it-s-not-about-being-black-or-white-or-heavy-or/) [Miley Cyrus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/miley-cyrus/) ## More by Mary Cassatt > [I have touched with a sense of art some people-they felt the love and the life. Can you offer me anything to compare to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-cassatt/i-have-touched-with-a-sense-of-art-some-people-they-felt-the-love-and/) [Mary Cassatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-cassatt/) > [Acceptance, under someone else's terms, is worse than rejection.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-cassatt/acceptance-under-someone-else-s-terms-is-worse-than-rejection/) [Mary Cassatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-cassatt/) > [If painting is no longer needed, it seems a pity that some of us are born into the world with such a passion for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-cassatt/if-painting-is-no-longer-needed-it-seems-a-pity-that-some-of-us-are/) [Mary Cassatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-cassatt/) > [Cezanne is one of the most liberal artists I have ever seen... he grants that everyone may be as honest and as true to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-cassatt/cezanne-is-one-of-the-most-liberal-artists-i-have-ever-seen-he-grants/) [Mary Cassatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-cassatt/) > [Why do people so love to wander? I think the civilized parts of the world will suffice for me in the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-cassatt/why-do-people-so-love-to-wander-i-think-the-civilized-parts-of-the/) [Mary Cassatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-cassatt/) > [There are two ways for a painter: the broad and easy one or the narrow and hard one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-cassatt/there-are-two-ways-for-a-painter-the-broad-and-easy-one-or-the-narrow/) [Mary Cassatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-cassatt/) > [Women should be someone and not something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-cassatt/women-should-be-someone-and-not-something/) [Mary Cassatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-cassatt/) > [It changed my life. I saw art then as I wanted to see it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-cassatt/it-changed-my-life-i-saw-art-then-as-i-wanted-to-see-it/) [Mary Cassatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-cassatt/) > [At some future time I shall see New York the artist's ground. I think you will create an American School.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-cassatt/at-some-future-time-i-shall-see-new-york-the-artist-s-ground-i-think/) [Mary Cassatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-cassatt/) > [I am independent! I can live alone and I love to work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-cassatt/i-am-independent-i-can-live-alone-and-i-love-to-work/) [Mary Cassatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-cassatt/) > [World will suffice for me in the future.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-cassatt/world-will-suffice-for-me-in-the-future/) [Mary Cassatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-cassatt/) > [It is as well not to have too great an admiration for your master's work. You will be in less danger of imitating him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-cassatt/it-is-as-well-not-to-have-too-great-an-admiration-for-your-master-s/) [Mary Cassatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-cassatt/) > [ Sometimes it made him \[Degas\] furious that he could not find a chink in my armor, and there would be months when we just… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-cassatt/sometimes-it-made-him-degas-furious-that-he-could-not-find-a-chink-in/) [Mary Cassatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-cassatt/) > [I used to go and flatten my nose against that window and absorb all I could of his art. It changed my life. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-cassatt/i-used-to-go-and-flatten-my-nose-against-that-window-and-absorb-all-i/) [Mary Cassatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-cassatt/) > [The first sight of Degas' pictures was the turning point of my artistic life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-cassatt/the-first-sight-of-degas-pictures-was-the-turning-point-of-my/) [Mary Cassatt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-cassatt/) [Explore all 17 Mary Cassatt quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-cassatt/) ## More Fall quotes > [Some people still believe you should just fall in line with what's going on - and that's scary. It makes a mockery of freedom…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emily-robison/some-people-still-believe-you-should-just-fall-in-line-with-what-s/) [Emily Robison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emily-robison/) > [Two things revolutionised life: moving to the countryside and falling in love.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-love/two-things-revolutionised-life-moving-to-the-countryside-and-falling/) [Nick Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-love/) > [“When you jump, all you're going to do is fall. But leaping? Leaping is when you think there's something on the other side.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-levithan/when-you-jump-all-you-re-going-to-do-is-fall-but-leaping-leaping-is/) [David Levithan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-levithan/) > [I understand that it's the music that keeps me alive... That's my lifeblood. And to give that up for, like, the TV, the cars,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bruce-springsteen/i-understand-that-it-s-the-music-that-keeps-me-alive-that-s-my/) [Bruce Springsteen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bruce-springsteen/) > [To hurry through the rise and fall of a fine, full sentence is like defying the role of time in human life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kenneth-clark/to-hurry-through-the-rise-and-fall-of-a-fine-full-sentence-is-like/) [Kenneth Clark](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kenneth-clark/) > [Many Republicans have always reminded me of professional WWF wrestlers. They come into the ring all pumped up and acting like they're invincible and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paul-feig/many-republicans-have-always-reminded-me-of-professional-wwf/) [Paul Feig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paul-feig/) > [“We will all, at some point in our lives, fall. Every single one of us. We shouldn't spend our time trying to avoid falling.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicole-williams/we-will-all-at-some-point-in-our-lives-fall-every-single-one-of-us-we/) [Nicole Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicole-williams/) > [I am attracted to looking at the different things language can mean even in one sometimes quite ordinary utterance. Writing is partly about listening…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rae-armantrout/i-am-attracted-to-looking-at-the-different-things-language-can-mean/) [Rae Armantrout](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rae-armantrout/) > [We were so poor as kids. I didn't even see a bathtub, running water, hot water, commode - we didn't have any of that.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/phil-robertson/we-were-so-poor-as-kids-i-didn-t-even-see-a-bathtub-running-water-hot/) [Phil Robertson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/phil-robertson/) > [How wonderful it would be to scatter words as they rise to consciousness, to let them lie where they fall.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joanna-scott/how-wonderful-it-would-be-to-scatter-words-as-they-rise-to/) [Joanna Scott](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joanna-scott/) > [My life is a crystal teardrop. There are snowflakes falling in the teardrop and little figures trudging in slow motion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joan-baez/my-life-is-a-crystal-teardrop-there-are-snowflakes-falling-in-the/) [Joan Baez](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joan-baez/) > [Life will knock you down & it's tough, but you are strong enough. Get back up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/life-will-knock-you-down-it-s-tough-but-you-are-strong-enough-get/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [When I was 13, I began relaxing my hair, and that meant when I turned 18 it began to crack and fall off, and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/soledad-o-brien/when-i-was-13-i-began-relaxing-my-hair-and-that-meant-when-i-turned/) [Soledad O'Brien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/soledad-o-brien/) > [“If you ever falling but can't see the bottom be glad you can't because at the bottom it's either a soft land or rocks!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kelseigh-ashton/if-you-ever-falling-but-can-t-see-the-bottom-be-glad-you-can-t/) [Kelseigh Ashton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kelseigh-ashton/) > [Empires fall, ids explode, great symphonies are written, and behind all of it is a single instinct that demands satisfaction.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sherwin-b-nuland/empires-fall-ids-explode-great-symphonies-are-written-and-behind-all/) [Sherwin B. Nuland](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sherwin-b-nuland/) [Browse all 13,401 Fall quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/fall/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I think that if you shake the tree, you ought to be around when the fruit falls to pick it up.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Mary Cassatt" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-cassatt/i-think-that-if-you-shake-the-tree-you-ought-to-be-around-when-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Fall" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-cassatt/i-think-that-if-you-shake-the-tree-you-ought-to-be-around-when-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/842/mary-cassatt-30569_fall_i-think-that-if-you-shake-the-tree-you-o_1090184.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/842/mary-cassatt-30569_fall_i-think-that-if-you-shake-the-tree-you-o_1090184.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/842/mary-cassatt-30569_fall_i-think-that-if-you-shake-the-tree-you-o_1090184.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I think that if you shake the tree, you ought to be around when the fruit falls to pick it up.” — Mary Cassatt", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Mary Cassatt", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-cassatt/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I think that if you shake...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-cassatt/i-think-that-if-you-shake-the-tree-you-ought-to-be-around-when-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-cassatt/i-think-that-if-you-shake-the-tree-you-ought-to-be-around-when-the/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```